Caseless ammunition package and container



July 14, 1970 D. w. GATES 3,520,400

CASELESS AMMUNITION PACKAGE AND CONTAINER Filed Dec. 12, 1968 INVENTOR.

Java] 14 f4??? United States Patent 3,520,400 CASELESS AMMUNITIONPACKAGE AND CONTAINER David W. Gates, Rogers, Ark., assignor to VictorComptometer Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois FiledDec. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 783,187 Int. Cl. F41c 25/00; F42b 37/00, 39/00US. Cl. 2063 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE There is hereindisclosed a method and apparatus for packaging caseless ammunition inwhich multiple rounds of the ammunition are packaged in axial alignmentin tubular containers of plastic material.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION This invention relates to the packaging and storingof ammunition and, more particularly, to the packaging and storing ofcaseless ammunition of the type wherein an exposed surface of thepropellant is ignitable by surface contact with high temperaturecompressed air. One of the objects of this invention is to providepackaging and storage means for a number of rounds of ammunition, e.g.10, having manually removable and replaceable sealing means providing awater resistant and/or moisture impervious package prior to sale to theconsumer and being usable thereafter as a water resistant and/ ormoisture impervious openable and recloseable storage container. Anotherobject is to provide a packaging and storage means from which theammunition may be easily transferred to and loaded in a gun withouthaving to be individually handled. Another object is to provide apackaging and storage means which can be readily associated with othersimilar packaging and storage means in groups, e.g. a group of 10, andcarried by additional packaging and storage means such as a paper boardbox or the like.

The objects of this invention have been attained by the combinations offeatures of the illustrative and presently preferred embodiment of theinventive concepts shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a box of ammunition packaging andstorage means; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of one of the ammunition packaging andstorage means.

Referring now to the drawings, a rectangular paper board box 10 may beof a size to hold a number (e.g. 10) of tube means 12 comprising anelongated tubular member 14 and sealing means comprising a plug member16. The tubular member provides an ammunition storing chamber 17 inwhich a number (e.g. 10) of similarly oriented and axially alignedrounds of caseless ammunition 18 are stored in axially abutting nose totail relationship. The rounds of ammunition comprise a projectile noseportion 20 of lead or the like and a solid caseless propellant tailportion 22 which is ignitable by surface contact with high temperaturecompressed air. The maximum outside diameter of the propellant portionis approximately equal to or slightly less than the maximum outsidediameter of the projectile portion which is approximately equal to orslightly less than the inside diameter of the tubular member so as to beslidably mounted therein. The solid caseless pro ellant is preferablyquite porous and, therefore, it is desirable to provide water resistanceand/or moisture impervious storage means therefor.

The tube 14 is made of natural color (see through) semi-rigid butflexible resilient plastic tubing, such as polypropylene, having a wallthickness of, for example,

approximately .010 inch and heat sealed closed at one end 24. Tubes ofthis material in such a thickness may be squeezed between the fingers tobring opposite wall portions into contact without exerting any greatpressure and the wall portions will spring back to their originaltubular configuration. The other end is open and receives the removableand replaceable plug 16 which may be made of a solid piece of the sameplastic material. The inside diameter of the tube is approximately equalto or slightly larger than the outside diameter of the ammunition toenable the ammunition to relatively freely slide therewithin. The lengthof the tube is somewhat longer than the length of the number of roundsto be packaged therein so as to provide a plug chamber 26 in which acylindrical portion 28 of plug 16 is received. The diameter of thechamber 26 is approximately equal to or slightly less than the diameterof mating plug portion 28 to provide a slight interference fit causingthe. plug to be frictionally held in place unless and until the plug ismanually removed by application of axially directed forces on a handleportion 30 separated from the plug portion 28 by a shoulder 32. The plugmember may Jae rnade reversible by providing similar plug and ban leportions as shown and the plug may be removed and replaced any number oftimes.

In use, each tubular member 14 is filled with rounds of ammunition atthe factory. The rounds are slipped into the open end of the tube withthe projectile portion facing the open end so as to be ready for directloading into the rear of a multiple shot gun magazine. A plug member 16is forced into the open end of the tube to seal the ammunitiontherewithin. The see through plastic enables quick visual inspection ofeach tube to determine the number and orientation of the rounds. Thefilled and sealed tube provides ammunition packaging, storage, andhandling means by which the ammunition may be stored and handled at thefactory, during transport to and at the wholesale and retail outlets,and also during transport to and at the ultimate areas of use such as ashooing gallery and hunting camp. The removable and replaceable sealingplug enables the removal of less than all rounds Without destroying thepackage and While enabling an effective seal to be maintained for theremaining rounds. Also, the tubular package is well suited for directloading of a firearm without requiring individual handling of eachround. Thus, as a combination loading and storage means, it iscontemplated that the open end of the tube can be placed directly behindthe firing chamber or the magazine of a firearm to load one or morerounds. The wall thickness of the plastic tube may be such as to providesufficient flexibility to enable one or more rounds to be squeezed outof the tube. In this regard it is further contemplated that the tube maybe used directly with or as a magazine in a firearm. While there arevarious well known ways of combining individual tubes into largerpackages, the use of cardboard boxes is presently contemplated forholding, storing, and displaying multiple tubes.

What is claimed is:

1. In a package for caseless ammunition or the like, the combination of:

an elongated tubular member having a tubular ammunition storage chambertherewith;

a loading opening in said tubular member providing for insertion andremoval of rounds of ammunition relative to said ammunition storagechamber; and

manually removable and replaceable sealing means associated with saidloading opening to seal and hold 7 rounds of ammunition within saidammunition storage chamber. 2. A moisture resistant ammunition packagecomprisa tubular body formed from a semi-rigid plastic material;

a plug member closing one end of said tubular member and being slidablymounted therein and movable under force;

a plurality of ammunition rounds positioned in said tubular body; and

means closing and sealing the other end of said tubular body.

3. The ammunition package of claim 2 in which said other end is securedby heat sealing.

4. The combination of a plurality of rounds of generally cylindricalcaseless ammunition and a erally cylindrical caseless ammunition and apackage therefor:

the ammunition comprising: a generally cylindrical projectile noseportion and a generally cylindrical propellant tail portion attachedthereto, the propellant tail portion being caseless and having anexposed outer surface ignitable by application of hot air thereto, theoutside diameter of the propellant portion being approximately equal toor slightly less than the outside diameter of the projectile portion;

the package comprising: an elongated generally cylindrical tubularmember having constant inside diameter and length in excess of thelength of two or more of the rounds of ammunition, one of said tubularmember being closed and the other end of said tubular member being openand said tubular member being otherwise closed and water restant, theinside diameter of said tubular member being approximately equal to orslightly larger than the outside diameter of said projectile portion;

the combination further comprising: a number of rounds of ammunitionslidably mounted in said tubular member in axial alignment and in noseportion to tail portion abutting relationship therewith, the noseportion of the round of ammunition next adjacent the one open end ofsaid tubular member being spaced a distance therefrom sufficient toprovide a cylindrical plug chamber, and a generally cylindrical plugmember having a plug portion slidably mounted in said plug chamber, theoutside diameter of said plug portion being approximately equal to orslightly larger than the inside diameter of said plug chamber to providean interference fit requiring the application of an axially directedforce to insert and remove the plug member and to provide asubstantially water resistant closure for said tubular member.

5. The combination as defined in claim 4 and said plug member includinga handle portion extending axially beyond the open end of said tubularmember providing a gripping surface for manual application of axiallydirected forces to insert and remove the plug member.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 and wherein said plug membercomprises a cylindrical shoulder between said plug portion and saidhandle portion, said shoulder having a diameter greater than the insidediameter of said plug chamber and abutting the end of said tubularmember.

7. The combination as defined in claim 2 and wherein the tubular memberis made of clear plastic material permitting visual inspection of therounds of ammunition rial permitting squeezing of the tubular member toeject therewithin.

8. The combination as defined in claim 2 and wherein the rounds ofammunition. the last mentioned means and plug member are also made ofplastic material.

9. The invention as defined in claim 8 and wherein the plastic materialis polypropylene.

10. The invention as defined in claim 2 and wherein the tubular memberis made of a flexible resilient mate- Refereuces Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 2,352,803 7/1944 Sawin. 3,119,541 1/1964 Lynn. 3,263,806 8/1966Ring. 3,373,520 3/1968 Into.

WILLIAM T. DIXSON, JR., Primary Examiner us. c1. X.R. 42 49; 20656UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,520,400 July 14, 1970 David W. Gates It is certified that errorappears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent arehereby corrected as shown below: Column 2, line 39, "shooing" shouldread shooting Column S, cancel line 15', line 26, after "and" insertline 2 after "one" insert end line 30, "restant" should read resistantColumn 4, cancel line 21; cancel line 24;

line 30, after "mate-" insert rial permitting squeezing of the tubularmember to eject the rounds of ammunition.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of October 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Ir.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

